Are you wondering what the average payout for nerve damage after a car accident in the UK is? You could be owed compensation for personal injury if the negligent actions of another road user caused your nerve damage.
This article lays out all the fundamental parts of a personal injury compensation claim to help you make a more informed choice about claiming. We discuss time limits for starting a claim and explain the two main areas of compensation that can apply. Also, we explain how to bring a case on behalf of others. As well as what evidence can help.
The final sections describe the many advantages of appointing a solicitor from our panel to handle everything, making claiming compensation for nerve damage much easier.
Road traffic accidents can devastate the lives of those affected, and compensation for nerve damage could help you face the future. To see whether you could begin a claim, connect with our expert advisors:
- Lodge a claim on our contact page
- Ring our team on: 0333 000 0729
- Message us via the discussion forum below.
Jump To A Part Of Our Guide On The Average Payout For Nerve Damage After A Car Accident In The UK
- Am I Eligible To Claim For Nerve Damage After A Car Accident?
- Average Payouts For Nerve Damage After A Car Accident
- Can I Make A Nerve Damage Claim If I Was Partly Responsible For My Accident?
- Can I Claim On The Behalf Of Somebody Else?
- How To Start Your Nerve Damage Claim
- How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Help You Claim
- More Information
Am I Eligible To Claim For Nerve Damage After A Car Accident?
In the UK, everyone who uses the roads and highways owes a duty of care to the safety of other users. They should avoid causing injury and damage by navigating the roads with care and diligence. To meet this care duty fully, they must adhere to the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Highway Code rules and obligations.
After the turmoil of a car accident, you may doubt whether a compensation claim can be made. To help clarify this for you, three criteria need to be met to move forward:
- Did the road user involved owe you a duty of care at the moment of your injury?
- Did they breach it?
- Were your injuries a direct result of this?
If you can answer ‘yes’ to all three points, you could be eligible to start a successful personal injury claim for nerve injury compensation. To be doubly sure, why not call our advisors for a free, no-obligation case check?
Can I Claim For Sciatica Caused By An Accident?
The NHS defines Sciatica as radiating pain or pressure often caused by pinching or trapping the sciatic nerve, the longest continuous nerve in the body. A back or neck injury can, therefore, result in transferred pain anywhere along the limbs. Serious sciatica can be a prolonged and acutely painful condition that greatly impacts a person’s mobility and normal functioning.
If you have medical evidence that draws a connection between the accident you suffered and the sciatica you are now experiencing, you could have grounds to seek injury compensation. Call our team for personalised guidance.
Average Payouts For Nerve Damage After A Car Accident
The average amount of compensation awarded in personal injury claims is not of much value to you as compensation amounts always differ from person to person. For a more reliable idea of what damages could be owed, it’s best to consult with a specialist solicitor. They could identify important parts of your claim that increase any ultimate compensation owed to you. Call and discuss your nerve damage claim to learn more.
How Claims Are Calculated
Typically, the claims calculation process looks at two categories called general and special damages. General damages apply a fiscal value to the physical suffering and pain caused. It also evaluates psychological damage and the overall impact on the quality of the person’s life after injury. As well as whether they were left with any permanent disabilities.
The team involved in calculating general damages frequently look at medical evidence that has been presented. Also, they might refer to documents like the Judicial College Guidelines (JCG). In here can be found award bracket amounts for various injuries based on their severity. Below is an example except from the JCG for nerve damage-related injuries:
Compensation Guidelines
| INJURY | SEVERITY | COMPENSATION GUIDELINES | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multiple Injuries and Financial Losses | The Most Serious | Up to £300,000 or more | Multiple injuries of a serious nature and financial losses such as lost earnings. |
| Back | (a) Severe (i) | £111,150 up to £196,450 | Unusual and very serious damage to spinal cord and nerve roots, creating severe pain and disabilities. |
| (a) Severe (ii) | £90,510 up to £107,910 | Nerve root injury that prompts a loss of sensation and impaired mobility or bladder function. | |
| (b) Moderate (i) | £33,880 up to £47,320 | This bracket covers a wide range of injuries including cases of crush or compression that could trap nerves. | |
| Shoulder | (a) Severe | £23,430 up to £58,610 | Injuries that often involve the large nerve network in the brachial plexus. |
| Leg | (c) Less Serious (i) | £21,920 up to £33,880 | Soft tissue injuries are often valued in this bracket which can include nerve damage. |
| Thumb | Serious (t) | £15,370 to £20,460 | Bracket includes fractures that require wires to be inserted and other nerve damage issues. |
| Cheekbone | Serious (i) | £12,990 up to £28,220 | Cases where surgery is called for and there can be permanent damage to facial nerves. |
| Whiplash | Regulation 2(1)(b) | £3,100 | Symptoms persisting between 15 - 18 months |
| Whiplash | Regulation 2(1)(b) | £4,345 | Symptoms persisting between 18 - 24 months |
Importantly, the figures are intended as a guide only. As stated, any compensation amounts made for nerve injuries will differ. Also, the initial entry is not from the JCG. Furthermore, the last two entries are from the Whiplash Injury Regulations tariff that apply to certain whiplash/serious soft tissue injuries valued at under £5,000 and dealt with as per the Whiplash Reform Programme.
If you have suffered whiplash and nerve damage in a road traffic accident, you can reach out to an advisor to see how your case would be handled by one of the solicitors from our panel.
Special Damages And How They Affect Your Claim
In addition to general damages, the financial harm caused can be included under special damages. To present a claim for financial loss, you will need to present evidence. This could be the following:
- Payslips that prove how your income suffered after the injury.
- Receipts for sums paid to others for care at home.
- Tickets and receipts for the expense of travel to appointments.
- Medical bills for private care.
- Prescription charges.
- The receipts or invoices that prove costs related to modifications needed at home (like grab rails or a hoist).
A skilled solicitor from our panel can assist you in gathering evidence of financial loss. In their capable hands, a much more complete amount of compensation can be calculated. Call to see how they can assist you.
Can I Make A Nerve Damage Claim If I Was Partly Responsible For My Accident?
Yes. In cases of split liability (split fault), you might still be entitled to a reduced percentage of the total compensation amount. For example, if the courts deemed that you were 35% responsible for the accident, you might receive 65% of the applicable amount normally made for injuries like those.
You could also be found to have contributed to your injuries, which is called contributory negligence. Similarly, in these cases, damages can be reduced by a percentage.
Our team are happy to discuss this further to help if you think you may have partially caused your accidnet.
Can I Claim On The Behalf Of Somebody Else?
You can start a compensation claim on behalf of two groups if the courts agree and allocate you as their litigation friend:
- Minors under 18.
- People with insufficient mental capacity.
A litigation friend can initiate a claim immediately. This is particularly useful if the person requires emergency medical equipment or is facing an influx of associated expenses. Call to discuss claiming on behalf of others for nerve damage.
How To Start Your Nerve Damage Claim
In the next sub-headings, we look at the basic actions you can take to start your nerve damage claim for compensation:
Finding The Evidence To Support Your Claim
Evidence is essential for personal injury compensation claims. It needs to show that the other person breached the duty of care owed to you and that this caused your nerve damage. With this in mind, the following is useful:
- Roadside CCTV, dashcam or helmet cam film of the accident.
- The contact details of any others who saw the accident. A solicitor is often able to approach these eyewitnesses after the claim has been started to obtain a supporting statement.
- Duplicates of your medical records.
- Photos of any visible injuries.
- The registration number of the vehicle involved.
- Proof of prescription painkillers.
Time Limits – How Long You Have To Claim
Under the terms of the Limitation Act 1980, the standard time limit is paused for minors until they turn 18 and frozen completely for people lacking mental capacity. As we discussed above, a litigation friend can step in and handle the claim.
Alternatively, the minor has 3 years to commence an action themselves from the date they become 18. Likewise, the three-year time limit starts from the date that the mentally incapacitated person regains their ability to claim themselves. Call if you’d like a deeper explanation of the time limits to claim nerve damage compensation.
Considering A No Win No Fee Agreement
Many people consider seeking legal help at this point, although you can bring a nerve damage case yourself. The solicitors on our panel offer a way for eligible claimants to begin their case using a vesrion of a No Win No Fee contract which is called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). Not every solicitor offers this type of arrangement, but the advantages to the claimant are numerous. Under a CFA, you can expect:
- No upfront solicitors fees to pay.
- No solicitor fees to pay while the claim progresses.
- No solicitors fees to pay for finished services if the claim fails.
- In fact, the only time you need to pay solicitors fees is if the claim wins. Then, a percentage is deducted from the compensation to act as a ‘success fee’ for the solicitors.
- Success fee amounts are capped by law, so the person claiming can be confident that they will receive most of their compensation in a successful outcome.
How Long It Can Take To Receive Compensation
Rather like the misleading idea of there being an average payout for nerve damage after a car accident in the UK, there is no set time frame to receive compensation. Although a claim must start within three years, once begun, there is no deadline. Certain variables can influence how long it takes, such as:
- The complexity of the nerve damage.
- The duration of recovery.
- Whether the defendant disputes liability.
- Also, how busy the courts are.
A solicitor from our panel can guide eligible claimants through these obstacles. Why not connect to see if they could handle your nerve injury claim?
How Our Panel Of Solicitors Can Help You Claim
It isn’t a legal necessity to claim using a solicitor. However, the benefits of consulting with an expert could mean that you have a greater chance of winning your case. The solicitors on our panel provide clients with a raft of excellent services:
- They will work tirelessly to obtain you the highest compensation award.
- Explain legal terminology and give you regular updates on where your claim is at.
- Attend to all correspondence with the other side.
- Complete the essential Pre-Action Protocol steps that apply to your case.
- Meet court deadlines for documents and evidence.
- Present your claim with the utmost professionalism at all times.
If you’d like to benefit from advantages like these, why not get in touch? A solicitor from our panel could handle your nerve injury claim today. Simply:
- Start a nerve damage injury claim for compensation on our contact page
- Ring our team on: 0333 000 0729
- Message us via our discussion window below to see how much compensation you could be owed.
More Helpful Information
As well as this guide on the average payout for nerve damage after a car accident in the UK, some related topics are discussed here:
- This guide looks in more detail if you suffered nerve damage and want to claim.
- Here, we look at road traffic accident FAQs.
- Also, this guide explains if you have a valid claim for whiplash injuries.
External resources to help:
- Further information about a type of nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) from the NHS.
- In addition to this, information from the NHS on whiplash.
- Lastly, read more about the condition of sciatica here.
Hopefully, this guide on the average payout for UK car accident nerve damage has helped. Please connect with the team for any more guidance on how to claim nerve damage compensation.
